Rick Hendrick: owner, Hendrick Motorsports

Sporting News, The, June 7, 2004 by Kathy Sheldon

Even before Jimmie Johnson dominated the Coca-Cola 600, it had been a rewarding season for Hendrick Motorsports, racing in its 21st season.

Q: Take us through an overview of your 20 years in racing. Has it exceeded your expectations?

A: Well, yeah. When we showed up at Martinsville in 1984, it was a pivotal race for us. I know exactly what some of these guys feel like who have an unsponsored car--we did not have a sponsor. We had a small associate on the car, All-Star Racing, and City Chevrolet, my store in Charlotte. We were running the deal out of our pocket and needed some success to sell a sponsor. I told Jeff Gordon the other day, "I don't know who you'd be driving for, but it probably wouldn't be me if Geoff Bodine hadn't won that race at Martinsville."

But it has been a great run for us. I remember going to Daytona and looking down pit road the first time and seeing Richard Petty and (Cale) Yarborough and Junior Johnson and the Wood Brothers and feeling like, "Man, I don't deserve to be here."

Q: You've won five championships. What do you bring to the equation that breeds this success?

A: I guess I was the guy who took the risk. But it's all about people and commitment. My job is putting the right people together, and I've been very fortunate to be associated with some great individuals.... Everybody in the garage today has good equipment. Some better than others, but it's all good equipment. The difference is people and the commitment to winning, and that's what makes these teams different.

Q: Did you ever think you would build this dynasty?

A: No. I got a call one day that said, "How would you like a Winston Cup team with Kenny Rogers and Richard Petty as the driver?" I said, "That sounds like a great deal. The king of country music and the king of stock car racing as the driver." The deal fell apart on me, and there I was, a redneck car dealer with no sponsor and a Yankee driver. But Geoff and I committed. We never had an idea that it would come up to this.... Different things have to fall in place. You are very blessed when you get a sponsor; you meet Harry Hyde; you meet Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Darrell Waltrip, all these people that help make this thing what it is.

Q: Did you come close to quitting?

A: My first year we won three poles and three races, and that's pretty unusual. Then in 1986, Geoff and Tim won nine races and 16 poles. I remember Richard Childress coming over to me and saying, "Man, you guys are going to be the ones to beat for the championship next year." Then Tim gets sick. So the Tim Richmond thing happens, and you get knocked back. And then you start again with Darrell, and you think that's going to be an All-Star deal, and it's anything but a dream team. But we won races. I guess we were so far into it, and once you get in it you don't want to quit unless things force you out of it.

Q: How is this season going?

A: Last year, I think every driver in the organization won. We feel good about this start. We won at Darlington, and Jeff won twice in a row. Brian Vickers is coming. When you've got a young guy, you expect to have a little rough road until you get halfway through the season. Terry Labonte's done a good job ... won Darlington last year.

We're building for the future, too. We've got Kyle Busch now who's in the running for the championship in the Busch Series.... and he's only 19. We've got Boston Reid signed. He's 20 and won an ARCA race for us. We've got a lot of payments to make, so we're probably going to be here another 30 years.

Q: How has the information sharing between the teams worked?

A: I could sit here and tell you that you can force them to do it, but what you have to do is get guys who believe in the philosophy, and if you've got a renegade, you've got to get him out of camp. Every guy has a setup sheet when we leave the shop, and again after qualifying and Happy Hour. I don't see any of the reporters who told me that I'd never win a championship doing it this way. But now you look in the garage area, and evidently it's working.